James Loy
Encyclopedia
Admiral James Milton Loy (born August 10, 1942) served as Acting
United States Secretary of Homeland Security
in 2005 and United States Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
(DHS) from December 4, 2003, to March 1, 2005. Prior to his appointment as Deputy Secretary, he served as the second administrator of the Transportation Security Administration
from 2002 to 2003, and before that as the Commandant of the Coast Guard
from 1998 to 2002.
, Loy earned the rank of Eagle Scout
in the Boy Scouts of America
as a youth and was awarded the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
as an adult. Loy entered the United States Coast Guard Academy
in 1960. Subsequently, he earned a masters degree in history and government from Wesleyan University
. He served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Coast Guard
, served in combat as commanding officer of a patrol boat in Vietnam
, and eventually rose to the rank of 4 star Admiral
. In May 1998, Loy became the twenty first Commandant of the Coast Guard
, serving in that post until 2002.
As Commandant, Loy reacted to the terrorist attacks of 9/11. In the short term, he supervised the resumption of sea-borne trade throughout the US, after the USCG had shut down most major ports after the attacks. In the long term, ADM Loy led the US delegation to the International Maritime Organization
(IMO), and was instrumental in ensuring that the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code
was approved and implemented in 2002. The code came into effect in 2004.
In May, 2002, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation
Norman Mineta
appointed Loy to become the Deputy Undersecretary for the newly-formed Transportation Security Administration
. Loy led the agency through its creation and subsequent incorporation into the Department of Homeland Security.
On October 23, 2003, Loy was nominated as Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security by President George W. Bush
, and sworn in on December 4, 2003. Following the departure of Tom Ridge
, Loy filled in as Acting
Secretary of Homeland Security
from February 1, 2005, until February 15, 2005, when Michael Chertoff
was confirmed and sworn into office. Joining the exodus of leadership, Loy resigned as Deputy Secretary, effective March 1, 2005.
As noted in Loy's biography published by the United States Coast Guard: "He has received the Department of Transportation Distinguished Service Medal, four Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medals, the Defense Superior Service Medal, two Legion of Merit awards, the Bronze Star with Combat “V,” the Meritorious Service Medal, five Coast Guard Commendation Medals, the Coast Guard Achievement Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, and other unit and campaign awards."
On April 7, 2005, the Cohen Group announced that Loy had joined the firm as a Senior Counselor, effective April 18.
On August 5, 2005, Loy joined the Board of Directors for Lockheed Martin
.
He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy
.
In the Fall of 2006 it was announced that ADM Loy was being honored as the first Chair of the Tyler Institute for Leadership at the US Coast Guard Academy. As such Admiral Loy has played a significant role in speaking and drawing other distinguished visitors to the Academy. His first class was designed to teach a select group of cadet
s about the international shipping industry and how it might be secured.
In March 2007 the Washington Post had a feature on Admiral Loy and his relation to the Coast Guard's Deepwater contract, which was awarded to Lockheed Martin in summer of 2002. When asked by the Washington Post if he ever faced improper influence on Deepwater decisions while serving as Commandant, Loy said: "The question is almost insulting. I will pass on giving you any kind of answer."
Acting
Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
United States Secretary of Homeland Security
United States Secretary of Homeland Security
The United States Secretary of Homeland Security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the body concerned with protecting the American homeland and the safety of American citizens. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet. The position was created by the...
in 2005 and United States Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
United States Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
The Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security is the chief operating officer of the United States Department of Homeland Security. In this role, the Deputy Secretary serves as Department of Homeland Security's chief operating officer, with responsibility for managing day-to-day operations...
(DHS) from December 4, 2003, to March 1, 2005. Prior to his appointment as Deputy Secretary, he served as the second administrator of the Transportation Security Administration
Transportation Security Administration
The Transportation Security Administration is an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that exercises authority over the safety and security of the traveling public in the United States....
from 2002 to 2003, and before that as the Commandant of the Coast Guard
Commandant of the Coast Guard
The Commandant of the United States Coast Guard is the highest ranking member of the United States Coast Guard. The Commandant is normally the only four-star Admiral in the Coast Guard and is appointed for a four-year term by the President of the United States upon confirmation by the United...
from 1998 to 2002.
Life and career
Born in Altoona, PennsylvaniaAltoona, Pennsylvania
-History:A major railroad town, Altoona was founded by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1849 as the site for a shop complex. Altoona was incorporated as a borough on February 6, 1854, and as a city under legislation approved on April 3, 1867, and February 8, 1868...
, Loy earned the rank of Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
in the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
as a youth and was awarded the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
The Distinguished Eagle Scout Award is a distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America . It is awarded to an Eagle Scout for distinguished service in his profession and to his community for a period of at least 25 years after attaining the level of Eagle Scout...
as an adult. Loy entered the United States Coast Guard Academy
United States Coast Guard Academy
Founded in 1876, the United States Coast Guard Academy is the military academy of the United States Coast Guard. Located in New London, Connecticut, it is the smallest of the five federal service academies...
in 1960. Subsequently, he earned a masters degree in history and government from Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
. He served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
, served in combat as commanding officer of a patrol boat in Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, and eventually rose to the rank of 4 star Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
. In May 1998, Loy became the twenty first Commandant of the Coast Guard
Commandant of the Coast Guard
The Commandant of the United States Coast Guard is the highest ranking member of the United States Coast Guard. The Commandant is normally the only four-star Admiral in the Coast Guard and is appointed for a four-year term by the President of the United States upon confirmation by the United...
, serving in that post until 2002.
As Commandant, Loy reacted to the terrorist attacks of 9/11. In the short term, he supervised the resumption of sea-borne trade throughout the US, after the USCG had shut down most major ports after the attacks. In the long term, ADM Loy led the US delegation to the International Maritime Organization
International Maritime Organization
The International Maritime Organization , formerly known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization , was established in Geneva in 1948, and came into force ten years later, meeting for the first time in 1959...
(IMO), and was instrumental in ensuring that the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code
International Ship and Port Facility Security Code
The International Ship and Port Facility Security Code is an amendment to the Safety of Life at Sea Convention on minimum security arrangements for ships, ports and government agencies...
was approved and implemented in 2002. The code came into effect in 2004.
In May, 2002, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
Norman Mineta
Norman Mineta
Norman Yoshio Mineta, is a United States politician of the Democratic Party. Mineta most recently served in President George W. Bush's Cabinet as the United States Secretary of Transportation, the only Democratic Cabinet Secretary in the Bush administration...
appointed Loy to become the Deputy Undersecretary for the newly-formed Transportation Security Administration
Transportation Security Administration
The Transportation Security Administration is an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that exercises authority over the safety and security of the traveling public in the United States....
. Loy led the agency through its creation and subsequent incorporation into the Department of Homeland Security.
On October 23, 2003, Loy was nominated as Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, and sworn in on December 4, 2003. Following the departure of Tom Ridge
Tom Ridge
Thomas Joseph "Tom" Ridge is an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives , the 43rd Governor of Pennsylvania , Assistant to the President for Homeland Security , and the first United States Secretary of Homeland Security...
, Loy filled in as Acting
Acting (law)
In law, when someone is said to be acting in a position it can mean one of three things.*The position has not yet been formally created.*The person is only occupying the position temporarily, to ensure continuity.*The person does not have a mandate....
Secretary of Homeland Security
United States Secretary of Homeland Security
The United States Secretary of Homeland Security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the body concerned with protecting the American homeland and the safety of American citizens. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet. The position was created by the...
from February 1, 2005, until February 15, 2005, when Michael Chertoff
Michael Chertoff
Michael Chertoff was the second United States Secretary of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush and co-author of the USA PATRIOT Act. He previously served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, as a federal prosecutor, and as assistant U.S. Attorney...
was confirmed and sworn into office. Joining the exodus of leadership, Loy resigned as Deputy Secretary, effective March 1, 2005.
As noted in Loy's biography published by the United States Coast Guard: "He has received the Department of Transportation Distinguished Service Medal, four Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medals, the Defense Superior Service Medal, two Legion of Merit awards, the Bronze Star with Combat “V,” the Meritorious Service Medal, five Coast Guard Commendation Medals, the Coast Guard Achievement Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, and other unit and campaign awards."
On April 7, 2005, the Cohen Group announced that Loy had joined the firm as a Senior Counselor, effective April 18.
On August 5, 2005, Loy joined the Board of Directors for Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
.
He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy
Institute for Cultural Diplomacy
The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy is an international, not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation based in Berlin. Founded in 1999 by Mark Donfried, its activities focus on promoting and developing the field of cultural diplomacy by conducting research, initiatives and programs, holding...
.
In the Fall of 2006 it was announced that ADM Loy was being honored as the first Chair of the Tyler Institute for Leadership at the US Coast Guard Academy. As such Admiral Loy has played a significant role in speaking and drawing other distinguished visitors to the Academy. His first class was designed to teach a select group of cadet
Cadet
A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
s about the international shipping industry and how it might be secured.
In March 2007 the Washington Post had a feature on Admiral Loy and his relation to the Coast Guard's Deepwater contract, which was awarded to Lockheed Martin in summer of 2002. When asked by the Washington Post if he ever faced improper influence on Deepwater decisions while serving as Commandant, Loy said: "The question is almost insulting. I will pass on giving you any kind of answer."